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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · arm · wound · fork · pitcher · cap · can · net

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com